Best Laid Plans

Put aside the already drafted Oxbow post for the moment, and a few words about Celestial Acres.

The Moore, OK tornado was a tragedy without a doubt, and it also had some important personal implications since we'd wanted to go to Celestial Acres in early May and were just unable for various reasons.  Had we been able to travel May 1 I'd likely have two dead horses about now.

After the Moore, Oklahoma tornado Monday that blew away Celestial Acres Training Center the Epic Fail vid about says it all for our RR stable--nowhere to run.  Celestial Acres is/was the only private training facility I know about within hailing distance of KC, and, I needed a private facility since the Kansas Racing Commission is out of business and I am without a trainer's license.  The plan was to get to running somewhere near a race track and apply for a license so we can get back on track.

My stable spent some time in the early 1990s at Celestial Acres with it's 5 barns, 5f track, turnout facilities, owned by Dr. Tom Orr, run by his son Glenn Orr.  Nice people!  On premises were a vet hospital, stallion barn, and the upscale Orr residence a few hundred yards away from the barns.  The plain white barns were old even in the 1990s, likely once upon time built by QH people in QH country.  Fairly small dark stalls.  There are better.  Yet, Celestial Acres was one of those horse racing islands keeping this sport going in the hinterlands and a beacon of hope and connection for those of us trying to start up. In 1992 the fee was $125/mo. for a stall.  When I called last month that was still the price.

Then came Mon. and similarly to most sudden unexpected occurrences, the evolution of my thoughts are interesting as they progressed from initial awareness to finally pinpointing that the tornado in fact had made a direct hit on Celestial Acres.  I detailed this as it happened and as I was coming to realize what happened last post.  They were reporting first that "a farm" was hit, then the Orr family farm which is still a few hundred yards from the main barns, and this was still the report when Blood Horse finally came out with an article Tues.  I'd scanned every news media Monday and was unable to find any confirmation that Celestial Acres was hit for even the exercise rider video was failing to mention the name Celestial acres.

The extent and exact location of events was still unknown until finally DRF came out with an informative and detailed post.  Mon. I called Celestial Acres to check up.  Their line was busy.

DRF confirmed that 4 of the barns were destroyed, though one stands without a roof, and one barn survived apparently.  RIP to the unfortunate horses and the dead people.  As to the rest of them their good fortune will be that the insurance will buy them all brand new houses.  Property damage disasters these days come down a little different than in days of old.

As to my stable, the Epic Fail vid above literally says it all.  There's nowhere else to run.  Eureka Downs is history. Blue Ribbon Downs is history, Lincoln State Fair meet in Lincoln, NE where we were always welcome is history.  Celestial Acres was the last in the outer limits of where we can travel. The the blogger has a business to run, distance and gas prices are a factor.

Unknown at the moment were we're headed.  I have a couple of decent two year olds, maybe some of the best I've had.   Will see.

http://www.drf.com/news/horsemen-suffer-heavy-losses-oklahoma-tornado

Training:  #17 has been galloping daily.  Missed a couple of days from rain. 1 week to #148 training restart.